Student Speak

Moving Out- a How-to guide from a self-proclaimed Momma’s Girl

I realize that this blog may cover a topic that many people can't relate to: having difficulty moving away from home for the first time. I also know that there are a lot of students who will read this and find themselves agreeing with the ideas discussed. Whatever end of the spectrum you are on everyone can relate to facing their first move from the family home, something many of us have done already and many of us will do in the near future. So as a self-proclaimed homebody and as someone who considers their parents as two of their best friends, here's some advice for what it's like to move away from the family home for the first time.

The Excitment

For some students, the thought of moving away from home can be very exciting. It’s just the freedom they have been waiting for. No more rules, no more people telling you what to do. You're in charge of yourself.

While this does seem like a good time at first, as the old saying goes: with great power comes great responsibility. No one is going to drag you out of bed and make sure you get to class, so that's now up to you. If you don’t attend class, eat properly, or get enough sleep, the only person who is going to get angry at you is yourself. The freedom is exciting and it’s great to learn how to take care of yourself, but it’s important you remember to do just that. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later.

The Struggle

For a lot of students, moving out is a lot like this little robot. You're all ready to go. You know exactly what to expect. You’re on a roll! Until you get unplugged from the wall (or in this case until you actually move away from Mom and Dad) and all of a sudden you lose your power.

Grocery Shopping

What is that? Where do people do this? Is there an aisle outside the frozen section? These are all things I learned about when I moved away and my Mom wasn’t the one doing the shopping for me anymore. I’ve got to admit there was a bit of a learning curve to it. Its important to balance healthy foods with practical items, knowing how busy your life is going to be when assignments start rolling out.

Cooking

Once buying groceries is out of the way, there is the challenge of actually making meals. Starting off simple is the way to go and you can experiement as you go on. This is just the start of your life preparing meals for you and for others, so you might as well get used to it!

You can do it!

I can tell you from personal experience that moving away from home for someone like me, who is so close with my family, was not an easy process. For those of you who are experiencing anxiety about leaving home (maybe you just graduated high school and will be going away for school in the fall) I leave you with this message. Be patient with yourself. Remember that you are incredibly lucky that you have something to miss and remember that it isn’t going anywhere. Your family and friends back home are just a Skype call or text message away. But having made it through the initial struggles, I have gained a sense of independence and pride in myself, knowing I have what it takes to make it on my own. I can honestly say that this year has been the best of my time so far at UOIT and I think a lot of that has to do with me figuring out how to do this on my own. You can do it, everything you need to succeed after moving away from home, you already have inside you.